Guide to the ecological reform of a flat

  • 2015
Table of contents hide 1 Ecological and bioclimatic ideas that give them a new personality can be introduced in any apartment or block of flats in the city. 2 3 Thermal and acoustic insulation 4 Ventilation 5 Walls and floors 6 Plumbing 7 Electricity 8 Heating 9 Furniture 10 Ideas to rehabilitate a complete building 11 Guide to the ecological reform of a floor

Ecological and bioclimatic ideas that give them a new personality can be introduced in any apartment or housing block in the city.

The house respectful with the environment is not an exclusive of the neorrurales constructions. It is a dream that can also be fulfilled in the cities. It will not produce an exodus from the city to the countryside, nor is it desirable from an environmental point of view. That is why the great challenge for architects and technicians today is to offer them bioclimatic solutions. In the next few years, the city can be an exciting field of work for professionals who commit. Instead of giving up the cities, we must fight for their transformation, making them greener and more livable.

Ecological rehabilitation consists in the substitution of materials harmful to health or the environment at any stage of its life cycle: extraction of nature, elaboration, use, decomposition and reintegration in the environment. Instead, more harmless and recyclable more natural products are used. On the other hand, there are technological and bioclimatic solutions that can be incorporated to reduce energy consumption and increase the comfort and health of the home. Next, we explain some of the changes that can be introduced in an apartment without the need for major works.

Thermal and acoustic insulation

The first step is to improve the thermal and acoustic insulation of the space. To achieve this, it is essential to treat the walls that face the outside. The most common is that they are composed of a 12 cm hollow brick exterior wall, a 4 cm air chamber, a hollow brick interior wall of the same thickness and a plaster layer covered with plastic paint. In this case, the works to be performed are:

1 Remove the plastic paint that prevents breathing from the wall and releases harmful gases such as formaldehyde. If the paint is very old, it may even contain lead.

2 Assemble battens and add an untreated and pressed black cork insulating layer . This natural and abundant material in our country is more insulating than artificial options such as polystyrene or polyurethane. Other ecological insulators are hemp, linen, wool, coconut or cotton blankets, par-terre - rigid panel, result of wood felting -, sheep's wool, cellulose panels and mineral insulators such as arlite (clay expanded) and vermiculite. Rock wool is a frequent option in the reforms that are carried out today, but questionable because its manufacture requires a lot of energy and artificial additives and binders are added.

3. Overlay another layer of pure plaster, without formaldehydes or plasticizers. To simplify this work you can mount plasterboard or mix plaster and recycled cellulose.

4. Make a new finish with a layer of natural silicate paint. By leaving the pore open, it allows the perspiration of the wall, since that minimal ventilation improves the quality of the indoor air without affecting the insulation. These paintings have the added advantage that they do not give off harmful substances. Water-based paints are also recommended.

If the walls contain insulators such as fiberglass, polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene, it is advisable to remove them, as they can damage the airways. Polyurethane is especially dangerous if the old material is undermined, it can be used to make the best possible insulation. The inner wall is thrown away and the artificial insulation is removed, which is replaced by black cork. Next, an interior partition with solid brick 12 to 24 centimeters thick is lifted and covered with pure plaster and natural paint.

A wall of this quality has a great capacity to stop the noise and has a lot of thermal inertia, which means that it keeps the interior at a stable temperature 24 hours a day. Such a work on a wall of 10 m2 costs about one thousand euros and is a suitable conditioning, especially for the Levant and southern Spain. On the other hand, in the central and northern zone it is better to increase the insulation with E-1 fiber panels (without formaldehyde) or postformed formic, although the pore is closed and the wall does not transpire.

The quality of the windows is crucial to ensure insulation. They must be equipped with double glazing, 4 mm thick each and 10 mm air chamber. If it is filled with SF6 gas, greater thermal and acoustic insulation is achieved. Argon is another option, but it does not isolate from noise. The best choice is the wooden window, the most ecological and beautiful material, although it requires care so that it does not deteriorate. People who prefer aluminum remember that the energy cost of their production is very high and should require windows to break the thermal bridge.

On the other hand, in the windows facing south it is very convenient to install a canopy of dark slab as thick as possible to regulate the entry of sunlight into the house during the summer.

Ventilation

A good exchange of air with the outside is essential. It should change once per hour to avoid the concentration of suspended particles and polluting gases, in addition to dampness and bad odors.

The so-called Austrian windows are equipped with holes that function as an air exchange valve, but if we have another type, the solution is to make a couple of holes above from the upper side Another option is the aluminum window with thermal break.

If the house has been insulated with panels that do not allow breathing to the walls, it is necessary to facilitate the circulation of air with extractors in the kitchen and the bathroom that overlook the patio of lights. The extractors will cause a slight current by directing the air towards the smoke outlet ducts.

The ionization of the air must be neutral or negative. Houses saturated with synthetic materials are positively ionized and can cause a feeling of restlessness. As electrical appliances also favor positive ionization, a cheap, natural and beautiful solution is to place a couple of large plants per room. They provide pure oxygen and reduce the amount of positive ions.

Walls and floors

If we want to remove the plastic paint from the interior partitions, it will be necessary to chop it to the last layer and renew the plaster with plaster before repainting with ecological products. An estimated calculation for a medium-sized floor placed the work at around 4, 000 euros.

Regarding the floors, the most suitable materials are natural stoneware tiles, ceramics, cork and wood without aggressive treatments. Natural linen is another option. On the other hand, synthetic materials and wood varnished with conventional products are not admissible, since the varnishes give off volatile toxic compounds.

Some materials, such as terraces and granites used in kitchens, can emit radioactivity. Except for very exceptional cases, the emission is very low and so that it is not harmful it is sufficient that there is a correct ventilation.

Plumbing

All homes should have a solar thermosiphon. It is a sanitary hot water generator. It is formed by accumulative plates exposed to the sun through which the water that is finally stored in the tank circulates, ready to be used. The plates and the deposit are placed on the roof of the building.

Lead from old pipes and welds from copper pipes contaminates water, so these materials are not suitable for internal floor drains. However, they have fallen into disuse in favor of another possibly worse material, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that emits toxic compounds both in its production, as in its use and discharge.

The ecological plumbing is completed with water saving systems in the faucets and the toilet cistern, which must be controlled discharge. Finally, the installation of a decalcification system at the entrance of the water to the house is a good idea to protect the pipes and some appliances, such as the washing machine, the iron and the dishwasher, from the scale of lime. In addition, lime-free water is much more suitable for personal hygiene.

Electricity

Photovoltaic panels can be installed to obtain part or all of the electrical energy needed in the apartment (Related articles: Plug-in kits, Cut cables and stop paying electric ones).

PVC electrical cables, as well as the installation ducts (corrugated pipes), plugs and switches, can also be replaced by less harmful alternatives from the environmental point of view. As for lighting, the cheapest and least harmful is that provided by LED lamps. They are always preferable to incandescent and halogen. The latter, in addition to not being energy efficient, generate electromagnetic fields because they need a transformer. To reduce the consumption of electricity and eliminate electromagnetic fields, an electricity step controller can be installed in each room. It consists of a relay that automatically cuts off the supply when no device works.

As for appliances, high efficiency appliances consume less electricity and water. Look for those that show the energy label A and the European ecological flower.

Heating

The most ecological heating system is the floor and wall radiant, which works with water heated by the sun. But this system cannot be installed in a house in use, since it requires major works. On the other hand, it is possible to use a solar thermosiphon to heat the sanitary water of daily use. The alternative is electricity, an expensive energy for the particular pocket and for the planet if it does not come from renewable sources. Now, we can produce it ourselves: a system of photovoltaic panels with connection to the network manufactures enough electricity for the consumption of a family (about 2 kW).

Furniture

In the manufacture of conglomerate and plywood furniture, adhesives that release volatile organic compounds harmful to health are used. Also the products that are manufactured to clean them are full of suspicious substances. To replace them, solid wood furniture that has not been treated with toxic substances is the most suitable. All wood used for rehabilitation must come from controlled logging (FSC certification) and have been treated with natural products.

Ideas to rehabilitate a complete building

Old buildings have the opportunity to radically change their personality through bioclimatic reform. This can be requested by the community of neighbors or companies that are responsible for the rehabilitation of buildings. In this way, insulous, ugly or anachronistic constructions become modern green emblems.

The patio of lights is an element present in all buildings that can be used to improve its air conditioning. This space, which is usually wasted, is capable of becoming the lung of the building.

A water fountain, placed on the patio floor and equipped with a closed water circuit and a pump powered by a photovoltaic panel, will help to cool all floors. Around it a green space is created with native species that do not require special care. On the roof, in the vertical of the patio of lights, wind catchers are installed that lead it to below the source. When leaving next to it, the air is cooled by the cool environment that creates water and vegetation.

Each floor must have a ground level entrance of fresh air to cool the house. Hot air from homes should go through the ventilation holes that have been left over the windows. The cooling of the building is completed with the help of exterior parasols on the south facade and interior awnings. In winter the fountain does not work and the air captors close, as well as the air inlets of each floor in the patio of lights. It would be convenient for the south-facing floors to convert an interior partition into a heat accumulator by increasing its thickness with solid bricks.

The awnings on the windows that face the south face of the building will be raised or kept lowered according to the season of the year to help heat or cool the rooms. They must be made of thick dark canvas and pure cotton.

In cold climates it can be very interesting to glaze the facade to produce a greenhouse effect. It is a reasonable investment that also radically changes the appearance of the building.

The roof is conditioned so that it becomes a green area. You have to waterproof it, set up a horizontal drainage system and pour the soil where the seeds that carry the wind will spontaneously grow. The green roof will better insulate the occupants of the attics, but, above all, it will change the character of the building.

Photovoltaic panels and solar accumulators crown the new bioclimatic building.

Source : https://www.elcorreodelsol.com/

Guide to the ecological reform of a flat

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